Drag Me to Hell

I've never been so fucked up with a horror movie, and I thought I'd seen a lot of stuff. The creepy atmosphere could literally cut through a chainsaw at times. Alison Lohman was great and likeable, and I have no words for the granny. The big downside for me was the large number of overly absurd scenes, like the bloody handkerchief or the vomiting, and the animation of the critters and during the attacks on the main character. Still, I highly recommend it, especially for those who like to be scared. (02/07/2010)

An utterly boring and plotless horror. From start to finish there was nothing scary; the only good scene was maybe the one in the car when the old lady started laying into Christine. The rest isn’t worth my breath and I can’t understand the high scores given by others. I couldn’t find a single excuse to give this even one dumb star... Complete nonsense... (01/06/2013)

A masterful game with genre tropes that manages to thrill, frighten, and entertain, often all within a single scene. After Spider-Man 3, Raimi makes it clear that he hasn't lost his judgment and knows how to entertain himself and the audience. Anyone who gives it less than three stars simply hasn't understood that Raimi made a fool of them. 4 ½. (08/27/2009)

Excellent in terms of atmosphere, with good performances , and technically at least above average. Sam Raimi doesn't hold back and delivers a fairly entertaining, albeit simple, piece. Alison Lohman's delicacy beautifully contrasts with the unpleasant setting, the ominous sky, and the brutal performance by Lorna Raver. Only that green slime wasn't quite my cup of tea. (11/14/2009)

With Drag Me to Hell, Raimi makes a partial return to “his” 1980s, but he doesn’t forget to also use what he has learned in the mainstream waters. I think this film is just the kind that can satisfy horror fans, while also entertain and scare a little the average viewer. The only little thing I could reproach is the exaggerated likeability. Fortunately, the scary scenes, the humour and the jump-scares are in the right proportion for the result to still be horror instead of comedy (the reviews had made me expect a lot more jokes and I was pleasantly surprised by the reality) – basically, it’s something between The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. Both approaches work perfectly, when Raimi wants you to feel tense (or scared), you will feel tense (in the moments when danger is approaching), and he’s just as good at making you laugh (when the danger shows itself in all its beauty, expelling various bodily fluids). 8/10 (06/18/2009)